Setting the Default Metaslot

Note: Before you create and use metaslots (slot metaclasses), you should be confident with the basic Protégé interface and be comfortable designing a project, and creating and modifying classes, slots, forms and instances.

If you have multiple metaslots in your project, Protégé allows you to choose which metaslot you want to use as the default for every new slot you create. The default metaslot is denoted by a Default icon at the right.

To set a metaslot as the default:

  1. Click on the metaslot you want to use in the Class Relationship pane. This must be a class that is subordinate to :SLOT.
  2. Click the right mouse button and select Set as default slot metaclass from the Class Menu. This option is available only when a metaslot is selected.
  3. The selected metaslot becomes the default, as indicated by the icon. Now, unless you choose otherwise, every new slot you create will use the new default slot as its template and inherit the properties defined by the default.

It is also possible to remove the default property from a metaslot without designating a new metaslot. To do this:

  1. Select the default metaslot in the Class Relationship pane.
  2. Click the right mouse button and select Unset as default slot metaclass.

If you do this, no default metaslot will be designated. In this case, if you have only one concrete metaslot, it will be used as the default. If you have more than one concrete metaslot, then you will be prompted to choose a metaslot each time you create a new slot.


Next: Changing the Metaslot of a Slot

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